My little hunger games
by Rainstorm13
Summary: Thirty years ago Equestria was taken over by a group of power hungry ponies, every year a filly and a colt are taken from each of the twelve districts and forced to fight in an arena. The twenty fourth hunger games are about to take place in Equestria, may the odds be ever in your favour.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

I wake every morning in District 11, also known as Ponyville. Every day is the same: we get up, we eat, we work, then we sleep. It's a boring life, but it's something we have to do to survive. There's only one day of the year when this routine changes, and that day is the day of the Reaping.

Five years ago, when I was safe from the Games, I watched the Reaping with my mother and father. That year was the year when my brother's name was reaped, and I watched in shock as he walked up to the stage and took his place next to the filly who would represent us. I remember saying goodbye to him for the last time, the train taking him to the Capitol and to certain death. I remember every moment from his Games up until his death. I don't know who won that year, but I do know that they were from District 9 from the highlights program. The show also told me that the colt who won was the same colt who killed my brother. I remembered his victory tour, and he didn't seem sorry for what he had done: he never even spoke to my family. From that moment forward I have always been terrified of the Games, the thought of facing 23 other fillies and colts in a fight to the death. It is almost unbearable, and sometimes it's too much, filling me with nightmares.

I wake with a start from the latest of these nightmares on the day of the 24th Reaping. Breakfast with my family is a silent event. I am their only child now, all they have left, and they can't bear the thought of losing me. I dress in more formal attire than I am used too, as it's a custom that on the day of the Reapings everypony makes an effort to look presentable. I say goodbye to my family, then head out into the street where I meet my two friends Sun Beam and Thunder Strike. It's become somthing of a tradition between us to meet an hour or so before we have to be in the square, and take a walk. We talk to each other normally, in spite of the horror we're about to face. When we were young foals we used to make a game of guessing who would be picked; this stopped when my brother was chosen.

Beam, Thunder and I have known each other for a long time, and they were the first ponies I was ever really close to. Now as we walk along and talk about our plans for tomorrow, I say the usual: "Get up, eat, work, sleep." I hate this, when we talk as though nothing could alter the future, as though none of us are in danger. I know that they do it for me because they know the Games unsettle me, and I appreciate their care but blocking out the real world with meaningless chat doesn't help.

When our time begins to run out we turn towards the square, and don't speak at all. Sun Beam and I move towards where the fillies are gathering while Thunder goes to stand with the colts. Sun Beam and I stand together, as we are of the same age, and share a look briefly before the ceremony starts in a silent wish for good luck. An elaborately dressed Capitol pony walks onto the newly polished stage, dressed in such vibrant colours that the drapes hanging above look like lifeless sheets of grey. I see the youngest foals in the crowd look up at this exotic stranger with wide eyes, as it's their first Reaping, and ponies like her are never be seen here for any other reason. A few even look around with confused faces at the older ponies, wondering why they don't look exited to see such brightness, like a slice of another world. To them the fear of the Reapings and the Games has only ever been theoretical and detatched, overshadowed by the glamour. The ponies who stare as stony faced as me are ones who have lost family and friends to the Games, who have felt that fear and much worse. The brightly colored pony walks to the front of the stage, all the cameras turned towards her.

"Welcome to the 24th annual Games!" She speaks in a happy, almost childlike voice, and it makes my fur stand on end. She dips her hoof into a huge glass bowl, grasps a piece of paper and speaks again. "The filly who shall be representing District 11 is..." She pauses for dramatic effect, and as she speaks again I feel Sun Beam tense beside me. I hear the words but I can't believe them. It's my name.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note  
Hi everyone! I am really sorry that it has taken a long time for me to update. I promise it won't be such a long wait next time. I wanted to thank someone who favorited this fic recently and it was because of that person that I found the inspiration to get up, stop being so lazy  
and write more, so thank you! I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

Chapter 2

I hear a scream from the crowd, it was my mother. I see her struggling against five jacketed ponies: the peace keepers.  
I am too stunned to say anything, so I look to Sun Beam. Her face is contorted with sadness and anger, I know that she wants to volunteer just to save me; but we always promised each other that we wouldn't ever go willingly. I've been chosen, and now this is my task to face, and mine alone.  
I start walking towards the stage, hiding my feelings. I have to stay as strong as I can, can't let the cameras see that I'm sick with fear. As I walk through the crowd it parts to the sides to leave a big enough gap to let me though, it's like I'm diseased, or cursed.  
I walk slowly up the steps, just putting one hoof in front of the other is painful, and take my place on the stage. I look down at all the other fillies, and they look back, horrified. Most know me, and even the youngest recognise me, but beneath the horror I can see relief over and over again. And so they should be, they are safe for another year, my future is less certain, no, it is certain, I'm going to die in the arena and there's nothing anypony can do about it. I am still frozen on the stage when the brightly coloured mare picks a name from the other bowl. "The colt who'll represent District Eleven is..." Again she pauses, and then yells, almost gleefully, "Thunder Strike!"  
For the second time that day my heart feels like it has stopped. I can't breathe properly, _please don't let me collapse on stage! Not in front of all the cameras_, I begged silently.  
I want to fall through the abyss as I watch my best friend make his way through the crowd. He acts the complete opposite to me and doesn't hide his petrified face from the cameras. I watched him reach the stage, he walks towards me and stands on my right.  
We don't look at each other.  
"And there we have it!" The bright pony says cheerfully, "Our tributes this year are Thunder Strike and Silver Skies!"  
We both know what to do; we turn to each other and shake hoofs, still not daring to look at each other.  
I can tell that all the cameras are now on the capitol as we are shepherded into the town hall, there we are left alone and for the first time we look at each other. Silence.  
The brightly coloured pony trots in, breaking the uncomfortable stillness.  
For the first time since the start of the reaping I look at her, properly. She is bright pink and smiling, how could she be this happy? We are most likely going to die and doesn't she even realize that? It was then I see her eyes and I almost don't believe it, they look sad. I realize that it's all just an act for the cameras.  
The pink pony closes the doors and finally away from the cameras her artificially cork-screw curled hair droops. She walks slowly towards us, Thunder and I glance at each other, neither of us sure of what to do.  
"Happy hunger games, may the odds be ever in your favor." The pink pony sighs. She looks at us with such sadness that I take pity on her.  
I walk forward nervously, "Are you… are you okay?"  
The pony looks at me and her eyes fill with tears, "No pony has asked me that in twenty five years."  
I look at her in shock, "Why don't you speak to us about it." I look at Thunder for encouragement but his face clearly says, leave me out of this.  
"Well… I don't know where to start." The pink pony says.  
"Why don't you start with your name and then tell us why you're here." I watch her cower slightly, why would this capitol pony be so afraid?  
"My… My name is Pinkie Pie." The pink pony paused, "I am here because I dared to stand up against the capitol…"  
"Wait… you are a capitol pony who is being punished for standing up against the capitol?"  
"Yes I am." She pauses looking up at the ceiling, thinking. "I was one of six; my five friends were with me as well."  
"Friends? Which friends?" I admit that I do feel a little curious about this pony.  
"Well... there was Twilight Sparkle, she was the most talented unicorn and she could use many different types of magic that I'd never even heard of before! She once banished an Ursa Minor." She paused, lost in memories for a second before continuing, "There was Rainbow Dash, she was the best flyer in the whole of Equestria, once she won Clouds Dales best young fliers competition and we always used to prank other ponies together. Applejack… I've never known a pony work so hard! She used to work on an apple farm called Sweet Apple Acres along with her family." She smiles sadly, "They used to make the best apple cider. Rarity used to own a boutique in Pony Ville and she used to design the best dresses, she even made each of us dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala once. The last of us was Fluttershy, she was a really quiet and shy pony who cared so much for animals and although she was always so nervous she once faced a dragon and sent it away even when none of the others could."  
I listen and pictured what life in Pony Ville used to be like, how it must have felt to have been free of worry and free of fear… and loss, "It sounds like Pony Ville was a happy place back then."  
She nods and smiles, "Oh yes, it was…" Her smile turns to a frown.  
I take a small step forward, "So… what did you used to do?"  
She looks at the floor for a second and I watched her face fill with concentration, she looked up at me again with her light blue eyes, they seem a little happier than before, "I used to plan and throw parties, some ponies said they were the best parties ever. I loved to make other ponies laugh… but now all I seem to do is make ponies sad."  
I give her a slightly comforting smile, it's all I can muster given the current situation, "Well I wouldn't say that all you do is make ponies sad, you should have seen some of the fillies today in the crowd, they couldn't believe how bright and colourful you are."  
She sniffs, "R…Really?"  
"Yes! They were so happy to see all the bright colours because all we're used to around here are boring shades of faded colours or grey." I lay a hoof on Pinkie Pies shoulder, "It's alright Pinkie Pie, you can still make ponies smile."  
"Please… please call me Pinkie."  
"Alright Pinkie, you can call me Skies; it's what all my friends call me."  
"Th… that's true." Thunder finally plucks up the courage to speak.  
"We should go, we have to go to the train or we'll be late." Pinkie stands up and begins to walk towards the back of the Town Hall. She leads us to a small door that opens out into the street behind.  
Thunder and I walk side by side, I give him a comforting look. For someone who has lost a brother to the games before I'm keeping my composure better than I thought, I hardly ever get angry in fact I can only remember one time when I felt truly angry but that was a long, long time ago, besides anger wouldn't help in this situation.  
We are led towards the station in complete silence. There are no ponies around to see us off and to be honest I'm glad, I don't think I could keep calm if I had to say goodbye.  
"Do you think… do you think that…." Thunder speaks breaking the silence with nervous stuttering.  
"I think we both stand a good chance. If we train and think about this properly then there's no reason to be scared." Of course I'm lying, there's every reason to be scared. We are heading towards our almost certain demise.  
I watch Pinkie board the train with Thunder close behind her but I pause at the entrance and look back at Pony Ville, my life has always been here.  
At this moment there are only four ponies on my mind; my mother, Beam, Thunder and my brother. There is no turning back now so I board the train just as steam starts billowing out of the chimney.  
In the last seconds before the train pulls out of the station I vow silently to make sure one of us returns home.


End file.
